Process for manufacturing metal bodies



Patent d 'Apr. 6, 1937" PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING METAL 3 BODIES Theodore Millner,

Uip est and Paul ran-y, Budapest, Hungary, assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York o No Drawing. Application April 11, 1933, Serial No. 665,620. In Germany and Hungary April 1 I I 3 Claims.

Our invention relates to a process for manufacturing metal bodies such as filaments for electric incandescent lamps and similar articles.

The object of our invention is to provide a process 5 for manufacturing metal bodies such as filaments comprising a single crystal or, several large crystals.

Various processes have already been proposed for manufacturing filaments of a single crystal or met several large crystals: Most of these processes comprise admixing with a finely divided filament material, such as tungsten,'.substances which remain behindin-the filamentary body up to the sintering temperature or even up to higher temperatures. Heattreatment combined with mechanical treatment has also been suggested According to another process the metal in powder form is made into bars by molding and sinteringand-then annealed at a temperature close to the melting point in an atmosphere of reducing'gas with which ismixed oxygen, or an oxygen'containing gas, such as water vapor, until the con'- version into 'a-large crystal structure complete.

The annealing step in this process requires from a half hour to several hours.

According to our invention metal bodies as rods, blocks and filaments oixa single crystal or several large vcrystals are produced by bringing,

the 'saidbodie's, during the course of their formation from powder and during their heat treatment inJa reducing or inert and carefully purified atmosphere at the temperature ofrapid crystal growth, into contact.with an otherwise reducing or inert gas containing oxygen or an oxygen- 5 bearingcompound The ibodles may then be further heated, if necessary, in a reducing or inert atmosphere. Theadvantages of this process are: The manufacture of metalbodies of large crystal structure without the used additive materials, 40 without necemarily combining any special mechanical treatment with the heat treatment, at

considerably lower-temperatures than the melting point, within a very'much' shorter time than has, been heretofore required and independently of the grain distribution of the metal powder T ernployed.

J bodies having a large-crystal structure is carried out as follows: Tungsten ,metal powder is prepared from tungstic acid in the well-known man- A specific example of producingtungsten (c1. Lit-111$) rent of low voltage and high current strength, in a stream of dry and carefully purified hydrogen. At the temperature ofrapid crystal growth, approximately 2000? to 2200- C. in tungsten (about 1000 below the melting point), hydrogen saturated at room temperature with water vapor isbrought in contact'with the metal body or 'blanksfor a short time, apprordmately one minute, whereupon the formation of large crystals begins at once. If necessary, further heat treat ment in a carefully purified atmosphere-off dry hydrogen or inert gas may follow thejlast step.

For the production of large crystal tungsten filaments theprocess may be carried out in the following manner. Coarse-grained-tungsten powstic acid by reduction with hydrogen, is formed I-into rods which are then sintered in a streamof dry and carefully purified hydrogen by means of an alternating electric current. The'sintering is continued only until the metal reaches, the stage at .which itcan be worked by hammering 'and drawing. Experience has shownthat it is. sufiicient for this-purpose to carry the strength of the current up to only about of that necessary for actual melting down.' The specific gravity of .rods sintered in this 'way, and also of wires produced therefrom by hammering and drawing, is appreciably lower than that of a dense. or compacted tungsten body, so'thatwires produced in this way canbe still further. sintered in the course of'further heat treatment. The .wlres, drawn in this way, or helical filaments made therefrom, are raised to a high degree of incandescence in a stream ofdry and. carefully rent and are subjected at the temperature or purified hydrogen by means of an electric curi rapid crystal growth or recrystallization, for a ing action of the oxygen-containing atmosphere "arises from the fact that, owing to the influence of thev oxygen-bearing gas (water vapor in the examples cited), small quantities of tungsten oxide are formed in the incompletely compacted -metal bodies during the rapidigrowth of the crystal, the said quantities of tungsten oxide setting up internal stresses which bring about the formation of large crystals in the course of -Probably, in the new process, the crystal formthe .nmerling treatment, due to their vapor pressure. I

The process according to this invention results, in the'case of undoped as 'well, as doped tungsten qtungsten in a substantially pure state, sintering said blank inan atmosphere of'hydrogen; and -15 then heating said blank at approximately 2000 C. in an atmosphere of hydrogen and water vapor until crystallization occurs.

'2. The process of manufacturing tungsten bodies of a large crystal structure which com prises molding a blank of finely divided tungstei in a substantially pure state, sintering-said blani in a non-oxidizing atmosphere and then heatin: said blank at approximately 2000 C. in .an atmos phere containing oxygen for a short time unti crystallization occurs.

3.-'I he process of manufacturing tungstel bodies of a large crystal structure which com prises molding a blank of finely divided tung sten in a substantially pure state, sintering sat blank in a non-oxidizing atmosphere and the1 heating said blank at approximately 20001 0. 11

an atmosphere containing water vapor .for 1 short time until crystallization occurs.

THEODORE MILLNER. PAUL TI'IRY. 

